South Africa

Improving regulatory management in South Africa

Two workshops were organised in South Africa in 2009 to discuss the issue of regulatory governance. The first workshop on regulatory impact assessment (RIA) took place in Pretoria on 26-27 May 2009. South Africa is in the early stages of designing and implementing an RIA system. Workshop participants included senior officials responsible for managing the implementation of RIA and overseeing its operation, both within central agencies and in line departments. They focused on the challenges of implementing RIA, improving its quality and its contribution to delivering better regulatory outcomes.

The second workshop on the regulatory frameworks of crucial economic sectors such as energy, telecommunications and water management was held in Pretoria on 17-18 November 2009. The issue of infrastructure regulation in these core economic sectors was highlighted as being particularly challenging for South Africa's future growth. Workshop participants discussed strategic issues of regulatory design and oversight for specific sectors. These include the need for sectoral regulation, co-ordination with competition and antitrust bodies and other government agencies, as well as the need to implement good regulatory governance principles. These principles include setting terms for transparency, consultation and access to information. Participants in this workshop included senior officials responsible for regulatory oversight in core economic ministries, including the Treasury, Department of Trade and Industry, and competition authorities.